In general, people take their bedroom for granted and underestimate the importance of keeping an optimal sleep environment for having a good night’s sleep. The truth is, a vast majority of sleep issues are caused directly by the sleep environment, whether it is temperature, light, or noise. Hence, here’s a detailed guide on creating the ideal sleeping space for getting good quality sleep.

Ideal Sleep Environment and Temperature

It goes without saying that the ideal temperature differs from person to person and depends on people’s preference and tolerance for humidity and heat, as well as their health conditions like hormone imbalances, body weight, and other sleep conditions including sleep apnea. So, several factors should be taken into consideration when deciding on a person’s optimal bedroom temperature.

Surprisingly but true, scientists have proven that the ideal sleep environment temperature may vary from 17 to 28 degrees Celsius, i.e. 62-82 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, they also emphasize that humidity can play a huge role when deciding on the bedroom temperature and say that it should be somewhere between 40 and 60%. Another key factor affecting ideal temperature is ‘bedding microclimate’ which refers to your sleeping clothes, mattress, pillows, sheets, and covers.

Ideal Sleep Environment and Noise

The truth is, your bedroom should probably need to be quieter than you think. Again, it differs from person to person, and of course the noise itself because different noises create different responses. For example, someone may sleep through a baby crying in the room but jolt awake by a thunderstorm.

However, according to scientists, the threshold level for sleep environment noise is 35 dB. But, how does 35 dB sound like? It is somewhere between a bird call (40 dB) and a whisper (20 dB). Furthermore, noise should be about 50 dB or less to wake us up when we are in sleep stages 1 and 2 which are lighter stages. Logically, the sound should be louder in order to wake us up when we are in deeper sleep stages.

So, from snoring, TV, to environmental noises – anything may disrupt our sleep. Therefore, it’s better to address this issue to ensure getting enough good quality sleep. For instance, you can try white noise machines to mask unwanted noise and thus reduce awakenings and improve sleep quantity.

Ideal Sleep Environment and Air Quality

Optimizing air quality for sleeping should be another point of consideration when trying to create your ideal sleep environment. According to studies, the optimal air quality is at sea level with proper ventilation. Unfortunately, we do not all live by the sea so we have to try to get the optimal air quality for sleep.

One way to improve the quality of the air in your bedroom is by leaving your windows open to increase oxygen levels when the outdoor temperature allows. Another thing you could do to promote bedroom ventilation when leaving your windows open isn’t an option is to open them before going to bed to let air in and open all of the doors inside your house to let air circulate, including your bedroom door. Here’s yet another natural, easy, and low-cost oxygen booster – keeping plants throughout your house since they take carbon dioxide from the air and filter other unwanted chemicals.

As a bonus tip, limit pre-bedtime light exposure, especially to blue light from digital devices, because it can negatively affect your ability to fall and stay asleep, get optimal sleep amount in each of the sleep stages, and stick to a strict sleep schedule.